Electric current-carrying hose assembly having end fittings enclosing an electrical switch and/or a circuit-breaking device

ABSTRACT

A flexible vacuum cleaner hose having an electric lead integral therewith and extending from one end to the other of said hose, a control switch and an overload device carried by said hose and in circuit with said lead, and electric cords extending from the ends of said hose, also in circuit with the lead, providing an overload protected current carrying vacuum cleaner hose for energizing a vacuum cleaner power head.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaner hoses, and moreparticularly to such hoses that include electric conductor leads thereinfor providing a convenient source of electric power to the wand orcleaning head of the vacuum cleaning system.

In portable type vacuum cleaners of the tank or canister type, theconventional unit comprises a portable tank or canister containing anelectric motor driven fan or pump, and a coupling means for receivingone end of a flexible vacuum hose. Thus, when the motor is energized,the fan or pump causes air to be drawn through the vacuum hose into thehousing where a bag or the like filters dirt and debris from the flow ofair, and the filtered air is then discharged from the housing.

In permanent central vacuum cleaning installations, a central electricmotor driven fan or pump unit is connected to a network of vacuumconduits in the walls of the establishment, terminating in a number ofstrategically located outlet openings, usually in the wall baseboards.Each such outlet has a removable cover. A flexible vacuum hose iscoupled to a selected outlet, and when the motor is energized, the fanor pump causes air to be drawn through the vacuum hose and the vacuumconduit and to be discharged at some remote point. Usually a bag orfilter or the like is located in the air flow path to collect dirt anddebris entrained in the air flow.

In each of the foregoing types of vacuum cleaning systems, the free endof the flexible vacuum hose is coupled to one end of a tubular andusually rigid wand, frequently made of aluminum; and the wand carries acleaning tool or head coupled to its other end. A number ofinterchangeable cleaning heads are usually provided which are designedfor various cleaning functions, such as for cleaning floors, carpets,upholstery, furniture, drapes, walls, etc. Also, of course, the systemmay include interchangeable or sectional wands, providing differentlengths, curvatures, etc.

Until recently, such vacuum cleaning systems have relied primarily onvacuum to effect cleaning, in combination, if desired, with a stationarybrush associated with the cleaning head. It has also been suggested touse moveable mechanical means, such as rotary brushes or beaters poweredby the flow of air induced by the vacuum. More recently, however, suchvacuum cleaning systems have incorporated power cleaning heads havingelectric motor driven brushes and beaters in the cleaning head. Thisdevelopment has necessitated the designing of these systems with meansto bring electric power to the cleaning head motor, and to provide forcontrol of the application of that power.

Accordingly, it has been proposed to fabricate the flexible vacuumcleaner hose with a pair of electric conductor leads molded therein andrunning from one end of the hose to the other, and terminating at eachend of the hose in a suitable electrical connector. Such hoses aredisclosed in the following patents: British Pat. No. 1,310,737 toAutomation Industries, Inc.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,636,285 and 3,733,697 toWilliam T. Wickham, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,715 to Homer N. Holden;and U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,586 to John J. Breslin. In the aforesaid Breslinand Wickham, et al. patents, there is also disclosed the provision of aswitch on the vacuum hose in association with the electric conductorleads.

The present invention is an improvement of the electric current carryingvacuum cleaner hoses of the aforestated prior art. In accordance withthe present invention, the electric circuit of the flexible vacuumcleaner hose is made complete, integral and self-contained, wherein ateach end of the hose, the electric leads molded integrally thereinterminate by connection to an electric cord affixed to the terminal cuffof the hose, and extending as a normal electric cord therefrom. The cordextending from one end of the hose terminates in a male plug, and thecord extending from the other end of the hose terminates in a femaleplug. Further, the cuff at one end of the hose houses an electricswitch, while the cuff at the other end houses an overload fuse orcircuit breaker.

Because of this self-contained integral structure, the present currentcarrying vacuum cleaning hose can be safely used in connection with tankor canister systems specifically designed for this purpose and having aplug receptacle on the canister coupled to internal canister circuitry,whether or not the internal circuitry has appropriate overloadprotection. Also, the present hose can be safely used to drive amotorized cleaning head accessory in conjunction with a canister that isnot provided with a plug receptacle and internal circuitry for poweringa motorized head. This is accomplished by connecting the electric cordof one end of the hose to a regular wall outlet receptacle, with orwithout the use of an extension cord. It is apparent that this sameadvantage is had when the hose of the present invention is used with thewall outlet of a permanent or central type vacuum cleaning system,whether or not that system included a motorized power head facility whenoriginally installed. The presence of the overload fuse or circuitbreaker in the hose circuit protects the power head, hose, and user froma potential current surge overload from the house or building circuit,and/or protects the building circuit from short circuits in the powerhead or the hose circuit.

It will therefore be appreciated that the hose of the present inventionprovides enhanced safety, convenience and economy in connection withsystems specifically designed for electric motor powered cleaning heads.And in addition, the hose of the present invention enables the safe,ready and economical adaptation of an electric motor powered cleaninghead accessory to a vacuum cleaning system not originally designed forsuch a power head.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide anelectric current carrying vacuum cleaner hose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a hose whichis electrically complete, integral and self-contained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a hose thatenhances the safety of electric power head vacuum cleaning systems, andprovides for the safe and ready adaptation of electric power headaccessories to vacuum cleaning systems not originally designed therefor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a hosehaving a switch, an overload fuse or circuit breaker, a cord extendingfrom the connecting cuff at each end, a male plug for the one of saidcords, and a female plug for the other of said cords.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following detailed description oftwo illustrative specific embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description should be read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer tolike or corresponding parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a current carrying flexible vacuum cleaner hose,partially cut away and partially in section, showing one embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a drawing of a current carrying flexible vacuum cleaner hose,partially cut away and partially in section, showing a second embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, numeral 11designates a known flexible vacuum cleaner hose, having a pair ofcurrent carrying leads 12 and 13 molded and embedded therein. Desirably,this hoseis of the type shown and described in detail in the aforestatedBritish Pat. No. 1,310,737. A coupling cuff is connected to each end ofthe hose 11, cuff 20 being connected to one end of the hose, and cuff 30being connected to the other end. These cuffs are normally moldedplastic parts,formed with threads that mate and engage with the helicalform of the hose.Thus, cuff 20 has a threaded tubular portion 21 whichthreads over the raised helical convolutions 14 formed on the hose 11 atone end of the hose, and similarly, cuff 30 has a threaded tubularportion 31 which threads over said raised helical convolutions 14 at theother end of the hose 11. The union of each said cuff to the hose may besecured by means of a suitable adhesive, if desired.

The open end 22 of cuff 20 is formed to receive a conventional tubularwandor handle, which in turn is adapted at its other end to receive acleaning head. Frequently, coupling of the wand or handle to the end 22of the cuff20 is secured by a spring pressed locking button or detent,and a seat for the locking button is shown at 23. The cuff 20 issomewhat modified in shape from the conventional cuff to provide achamber 24 for housing a switch structure 25. The tubular end 22 of thecuff may still be shaped inthe conventional manner to receive a wand orhandle directly, but if desired, the shape may be modified, and thecoupling end of the wand or handle may be correspondingly modified, oran adapter may be used to couple the cuff to the wand or handle, asdesired.

The ends of leads 12 and 13 are taken from the end of hose 11 into theswitch chamber 24, and are there wired through switch 25 to theelectricalcord 26. One end of cord 26 is seated and may be molded orcemented into the cuff 20, while its other end terminates in female plug27. Switch 25 has an actuator 28 which projects slightly above the cuffhousing wall, and is covered by a flexible plastic or rubber bubblecover 29. The switch25 may be of any suitable design, such as apushbutton actuator, or a to and fro slide actuator, or a snap actingtoggle actuator.

At the other end of the hose 11, cuff 30 is substantially similar tocuff 20. Its open end 32 is formed to couple to a vacuum cleanercanister nozzle or to a wall outlet of a central vacuum cleaner system.This may bedone by direct coupling or by means of an adapter as in thecase of the cuff 20. Cuff 30 is also provided with seat 33 for a springpressed locking button or detent. Cuff 30 is molded with a chamber 34formed therein to receive a fuse and fuse receptacle 35. The ends ofleads 12 and13 obtained at this end of hose 11 are brought into thechamber 34, and arethere connected through fuse 35 to cord 36. Cord 36has one end seated in the cuff, and it may be molded or cementedtherein. The other end of cord 36 terminates in a male plug 37.

Further, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, each cuff chamber issealed from the passageway extending through the hose by intrusion ofthe hose into the opening between the chamber of the cuff and thepassageway.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 is substantially similartothat shown in FIG. 1, and therefore, corresponding parts aredesignated by the same reference characters. In FIG. 2, the primarydifference over FIG.1 is the arrangement of the chambers 24a and 34a.These chambers are formedto project upwardly and at an angle to the axisof the respective cuff; so that for switch 25, its actuator 28 projectstherefrom generally in the direction of the axis of the cuff, and forfuse 35, chamber 34a has an opening 38 through which the fuse can bereplaced. A removable plug 39 is provided to close the opening 38.

It will thus be appreciated, in either the embodiment of FIG. 1 or FIG.2, the flexible vacuum hose 11 is provided with an integral and completeelectric circuit that extends from one end to the other of the hose, andterminates at each end with electrical cord extensions 36 and 26 havingplugs 37 and 27, the plug 37 being male and the plug 27 being female.Thisintegral electric circuit also includes a control switch 25 at oneend 20 of the hose, and an overload fuse or circuit breaker 35 at theother end 30. The male plug 37 on cord extension 36 is adapted to becoupled to a current source, such as a special socket therefor on thevacuum cleaner canister or associated with the wall receptacle of acentral vacuum cleaning system. Alternatively, this plug may be insertedin any house or building power receptacle. The female plug 27 on cordextension 26 is adapted to be connected to electrical leads forenergizing a vacuum cleaner power head, such as electric motor drivenbrushes or beaters.

The overload fuse or breaker 35 provides several protective functions.First, it protects the motor of the power head, the hose and the userfroma current surge overload, particularly if the hose circuit isconnected to a house or building socket, or if the vacuum cleaner systemcircuit does not provide adequate protection for this purpose. Second,when the hose circuit is energized directly from a house socket, itprotects the house circuit should a short develop in the power headmotor or the conductors in the hose. Third, it can protect the canistercircuitry and the house circuit from the effects of a short circuit ineither the hose conductors or the power head motor, when the hosecircuit is energized from a specialcanister or central vacuum cleanersystem receptacle which is not adequately fused for this purpose.

In the foregoing embodiments, the switch is located at one end of thehose,and the overload fuse or circuit breaker is located at the otherend of thehose. This is one convenient arrangement. Obviously they maybe located in other positions. Also, the switch and the overloadprotection device may be both placed in one cuff at one end of the hose.

The foregoing embodiments of the invention are presented asillustrative, only. Various changes and modifications will be apparentto those skilled in the art, and such as are embraced by the spirit andscope of the appended claims are contemplated as within the purview ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flexible, electric current-carrying hose assembly comprising:(1) a flexible hose having a passageway therethrough and first and second current-carrying leads extending between first and second ends; (2) first and second hose-coupling cuffs attached to said first and second ends, respectively, of said flexible hose, at least one of said cuffs having a sealed chamber formed therein with the seal between said chamber and said passageway being formed by intrusion of said hose into an opening between said chamber and said passageway; (3) switch means mounted and sealed within said sealed chamber with an actuator extending from said chamber; and (4) first and second electrical cords each terminated with a plug and connected to said first and second cuffs, respectively, said cords, said switch means and said leads being electrically connected to form a controllable electrical current path between said plugs.
 2. A hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of said cuffs has said sealed chamber formed therein, said switch means being mounted in a first sealed chamber in said first cuff and automatic circuit-breaking means being mounted in a second sealed chamber in said second cuff, said automatic circuit-breaking means being connected in said controllable electrical current path.
 3. A hose assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sealed chambers are formed to project upwardly and at an angle to the axes of said cuffs.
 4. A hose assembly according to claim 3, wherein said second sealed chamber is accessible by means of a removable plug.
 5. A hose assembly according to claim 1, wherein said chamber is formed to project upwardly and at an angle to the axis of said one cuff.
 6. A hose assembly according to claims 3 or 5, wherein said actuator extends upwardly and at an angle to the axis of said cuff containing said sealed chamber in which said switch means is mounted. 